Taft Stettinius to acquire 70-attorney Chicago firm

A 70-attorney Chicago law firm is planning to merge with Taft Stettinius & Hollister in January, in a move that will eliminate the Shefksy & Froelich name but potentially double the size of its Chicago office and provide the growing Ohio-based Taft Stettinius with a significant presence in the Midwest’s biggest city.

The combined firm will have about 400 lawyers in offices in four cities in Ohio, Chicago, Indianapolis, northern Kentucky and Phoenix, Ariz., according to Crain’s Chicago Business.

“Our mission is to be preeminent in our region, and to achieve that, a major presence in Chicago is essential,” said Taft’s chairman and managing partner, Thomas Terp, in a law firm press release.

“As business becomes more global and regional, having such a respected firm with talented attorneys on the ground in Chicago will benefit our clients in all of our offices,” he continued. “This addition is a key step in our continued, selective geographic growth.”